JUNE PREVIEWS

Image: Lanterns on the Lake by Henri Calderon

MUSIC

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM

Words: Ali Welford

For all that events have veered wildly off-script, it’s fair to say the past 18 months have provided Lanterns On The Lake with more reasons for cheer than most. Despite their best laid plans going up in smoke, the period has seen the quintet cement a place among the definitive North East acts of their generation, scoring the finest reviews of their career as well as a richly merited Mercury nomination off the back of last February’s majestic Spook The Herd.

With their calendar wiped by COVID, the group have also enjoyed ample time for reflection – not just on their recent success, but also the stellar decade which preceded it. It’s an ascent which deserves some kind of souvenir – and this month sees label Bella Union deliver the goods with a handsome vinyl reissue of the cult classic which kickstarted it all – 2011’s magnificent debut Gracious Tide, Take Me Home.

Remastered at Abbey Road Studios, the double-LP package is presented in a deluxe foil-printed gatefold sleeve, and sees the record expanded with five previously unreleased tracks recorded during the original album sessions. Add in a rescheduled autumn tour (which culminates in a long-awaited homecoming at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop on Friday 10th December), and the group’s swelling legions of followers likewise have plenty to smile about for the remainder of the year.

Lanterns On The Lake reissue Gracious Tide, Take Me Home via Bella Union on 11th June www.lanternsonthelake.com

COMEDY

SIMON MUNNERY @ THE STAND

Words: Cameron Wright

Simon Munnery has long been established as one of comedy’s greatest secrets, once you know of him, you can’t escape. For over 35 years the comedy icon has been performing, inspiring and reinventing comedy across the globe, occasionally appearing on TV shows such as Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle or The Alternative Comedy Experience. The comedian’s career has seen him take charge of acclaimed radio shows, TV series and a litany of brilliant and hilarious tours.

The alternative juggernaut has consistently delivered absurd, endearing and satirical shows for decades, yet these traits are never more refined than when he dons the leather jacket and confrontational swagger of his character Alan Parker: Urban Warrior.

Delivering scathing anarchism fuelled with retribution and disarray, this parody punk revolutionary has never been more needed. The rebellious voice of a generation has leant his penmanship to NME for years, but the notorious Urban Warrior is at his most untamed when unleashed on the stage.

Reaching Newcastle’s iconic venue The Stand on Monday 14th June, Alan Parker is set to become the antidote to a confused, restless political climate. The riotous renegade will deconstruct the wrongs of our world, proving unquestionably that he is the world’s only radical and that our nation needs to hear his truths. Munnery perfectly mocks and respects activism and correctness in this volcanic and satirical masterclass in character comedy.

Simon Munnery is at The Stand, Newcastle on Monday 14th June www.thestand.co.uk

Simon Munnery

MUSIC

DURHAM COLLECTIVE ROTATE LAUNCH COMPILATION ALBUM

Words: Ben Lowes-Smith

Rotate is a collective of DJs and musicians based in Durham, who for the last three years have been cultivating the city’s electronic music scene. Centred around Fabio’s Bar, a typical Rotate night features a variety of genres, from house and disco to UK garage, techno and drum and bass. Rotate grew from a core group of Durham University students who are incredibly enthusiastic about electronic music but recognised how the city lacked ways of celebrating it. In 2018, the founding fathers of Rotate, Luke Thorne and Callum Traynor, took it into their own hands to cultivate an electronic music scene and community in the city.

Naturally, COVID has temporarily put paid to this, but, ever resourceful, Rotate adapted. This year they started a podcast series which airs on radio, ran a mix series, and have now launched their own record label, Rotate Records. Their first various artists compilation, 66 Saddler Street, will promote unseen talent in the city. The name 66 Saddler Street is a nod to the roots of the night (it’s the address of Fabio’s Bar in the centre of Durham where Rotate first brought a focus on electronic music right into the heart of the city). The compilation, released on 18th June, exhibits genres ranging from house to techno to breakbeat and features four tracks from artists located in Durham: Woopsi and Arketype, two former Rotate residents; Antecedent, a French inspired techno DJ and producer; and Tommy 2000, a 17-year-old Durham local who has already begun to make a name for himself in the UK and Irish techno scene.

Rotate will host a socially distanced release party at Fabio’s on Wednesday 16th June www.rotatedurham.com

ART & LIT

FAKE PAINTINGS @ 36 GALLERY

Words: Beverley Knight

New exhibition Fake Paintings unites artists Seb Trend and Jane Millican at 36 Gallery on their productive trek with only the one word, action and notion of ‘painting’ as their stimulus.

As part of their process they allowed whatever materials felt right at the time – pencil, ceramic, wood – to enter their hand, disguising the starting point entirely and medium selected. You can usually find Trend firing his ceramic paintings at Ouseburn Pottery, while Millican practises as an artist while lecturing in Fine Art at Newcastle University.

For this joint endeavour, which is on display at the Ouseburn gallery from Thursday 10th June-Sunday 4th July, wall-based works are joined by a collaborative installation where the gallery walls were clad in plywood, manifesting a hidden painting within the tracks of the wood grain. Jane exposes their purpose: “What first appear to be quickly executed gestural paintings reveal themselves to be, in fact, slowly made trompe l’œil pencil drawings. Beginning with an examination of painting, surface details and the points where fluid colours collide.”

Aiming to include the community through local charity partners Tyne Housing, Ouseburn Farm and Chilli Studios, the project will run response workshops and present virtual tours from the artists’ Instagram pages.

Fake Paintings exhibits at 36 Gallery, Newcastle from Thursday 10th June-Sunday 4th July www.36limestreet.co.uk

Seb Trend, The Captain, 2021 - image courtesy of the artist

COMEDY

MARTIN MOR & ROB MULHOLLAND @ THE FORUM MUSIC CENTRE

Words: Nicola Owen

Hilarity Bites returns to The Forum, Darlington on Saturday 5th June with two comedians performing live before your very eyes, with the unfettered enthusiasm of giggle hungry attention seekers who have been kept in an isolation tank for several months.

Northern Irish ex-circus performer Martin Mor brings his impressive beard to the fray. With over 25 years of experience as a professional performer Martin has established himself as one of the UK’s most popular and in-demand comedians. Combining startlingly original material with bold, energetic improvisation, his love of working the audience, and an inability to remember his script, mean that every show is a unique interactive live event.

Rob Mulholland is an extraordinary human piñata filled with comedy éclairs. Rob mixes cheeky audience banter with his intricately woven, gag-packed stories; adding a touch of the absurd to his askance glance at everyday life. As well as being the official title holder of Yorkshire’s Funniest Non-Musical Comedian he is also 17 feet tall, made of steel and can jump over a Mini Cooper from a standing start. What’s not to like? Check the website for entry details for the basic attendance rules you will have to follow so that you can enjoy a safe night.

Hilarity Bites presents Martin Mor and Rob Mulholland at The Forum Music Centre, Darlington on Saturday 5th June www.hilaritybites.co.uk

Martin Mor by Andy Hollingworth

FILM

AWARE @ ALPHABETTI THEATRE

Words: Beverley Knight

Within a trio of booths at Alphabetti, AWARE sees three short films created by theatre companies run by and for people with learning disabilities. A household or support bubble of up to six people can experience the shows in a designated slot, running until Saturday 5th June, as it marks the tender reintroduction to live programming from the city centre venue.

Hijinx presents The Audition: a short documentary travelling back to the spring of 2019, where thirty neurodivergent actors auditioned for roles in a groundbreaking feature film. The footage captured the audition process and interviews revealing the participants’ unique take on the situation from their minds. Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company share Retake, Remake, examining cinema representing people with learning difficulties but played by actors without the issues. Reclaiming the works, an ensemble of creators make them their own. They also offer a new story that layers technology to embody representation, ability and ownership. About Face Theatre Company deliver Creation. With intelligent staging and micro-puppetry, this piece interlinks ancient stories of greed, fear and redemption, focused on our current world through music, narrative and magic.

Alphabetti are striving to set an inclusive platform for not only the audience and theatre makers but all involved.

AWARE runs at Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle until Saturday 5th June www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk

MUSIC

IN RESIDENCE WEEKEND @ SAGE GATESHEAD

Words: Claire Dupree

Delivering on their commitment to support eclectic emerging talent in the region, Sage Gateshead’s Artists In Residence programme has seen four musicians working to produce some radically diverse projects over the last 10 months, and the culmination of their hard work will be on display over a weekend of in-person and livestreamed shows on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June.

Kenyan-born multi-instrumentalist Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno’s work is inspired by traditional East African melodies and his remarkable voice is backed by the Nyatiti, an eight-stringed lyre. On Saturday 19th he’ll perform alongside Frankie Archer (fiddle) and John Pope (double bass) to present work from his new album KWEChE (taboos) which explores the place and role of taboo and how it feels to live away from home comforts, with live visuals designed by Opiyo Okach which react to the music. Also on the Saturday, traditional musician Holly Clarke explores ballad songs and finds unusual ways to perform unique stories.

On Sunday 20th, inventive musician Joe Snape brings his extraordinary creations of music, light, text and video, often performed on homemade electronic instruments. He’ll present brand new work Action Vibration Volume 1 with 12-piece ensemble Northumberland Radical Fun Group, a contemporary big band put together by Snape and Sage Gateshead to perform ambitious, large-scale works of music with adventurous approaches to genre and form. Also on Sunday, much-loved electro folk experimenter Me Lost Me will showcase some brand new songs written during her residency, accompanied by Faye MacCalman (clarinet) and John Pope (bass), and also featuring live visuals developed alongside her music, continuing her preoccupation with themes around nature combining collaged video footage and 3D modelling.

Ticket bundles are available for one more more shows, and gigs take place both in person in Hall One or via livestream.

Sage Gateshead’s Artists in Residence perform at the venue on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June www.sagegateshead.com

Joe Snape by Leonie Brandner

MUSIC

LITTLE WATERFRONTS, HARTLEPOOL

Words: Tracy Hyman

Little Waterfronts heralds the rebirth of Hartlepool’s Waterfront Festival, serving up a series of eight appetizers before the main festival feast in August. Eight individual little moments of high quality artistic happenings will be delivered to new audiences in both the real and the digital world, each with its own bespoke Tarot design available from each location.

A particular highlight is The Mixtape, a compilation of local emerging musical artists which will be broadcast from lamppost speakers every Saturday in June around Church Street as a prelude to their performances at the festival in August, expect to hear tracks from PICNIC, Michael Gallagher, Jodie Nicholson, Mt. Misery, bigfatbig and more. Pick up a limited edition CD (only 250 available from Hartlepool Art Gallery) or seek out the Spotify playlist to listen at home.

The Drag Queens gives an opportunity to relive the Waterfront Festivals of years gone by with cabaret troupe Bonnie & The Bonnettes. Pull up a deck chair as they take over Ward Jackson Park on Saturday 5th-Sunday 6th with drag, wigs and pop-up lip sync performances! Choose to immerse yourself in an audio walk along North Gare before turning to focus on The Headland with Tees Women Poets. The Women is a two-part spoken word experience interweaving five female voices, speaking of runaways, families, the seasons, climate change and the women of the Tarot and ancient Hartlepool (Monday 21st and Friday 25th). Or why not take a pilgrimage parallel to The Sea at Seaton Carew beach on Saturday 19th and question the past, present and future along a 1.5 mile path of sandcastles, as they become consumed and destroyed underfoot by the elements.

The Spirits is a Heritage walk that lets you experience the sights, sounds, characters, eccentric traditions, music and even the lost tastes of an ancient community – which may be just a figment of your imagination (6.30pm & 8.30pm, Saturday 26th). While Time is a collection of spoken word pieces delivered directly to camera, exploring how our lives have changed dramatically over the past year; birthdays on Zoom, restrictions and the days just merging together with our usual way-markers cancelled (date/location TBC).

www.hartlepoolwaterfrontfestival.com

COMEDY

SHOE CAKE COMEDY CLUB @ THE GEORGIAN THEATRE

Words: Nicola Owen

The Shoe Cake Comedy Club makes welcome a return to The Georgian Theatre in Stockton on Saturday 19th June with a mix of stand-up and an improvised comedy game.

MC for the night, as always, is the naturally funny and entertaining Chris Lumb. As seen on Russell Howard’s Good News and Britain’s Got Talent, Chris is a popular MC on the comedy circuit with his sharp impressions and quick fire wit.

The show opens with stand-up David Eagle. Described as “a genuine stand up rookie phenomenon”, David has won several accolades. Aaron Wood and Dawn Rigby also take their turns on the mic. The night’s big event is The Discount Comedy Checkout performed by Chris Lumb, Eddie French and Phil Smith. If you’ve never seen improvised comedy before, you are in for a right treat. All the games are formed and created from your suggestions. It’s very much in the style of Whose Line Is It Anyway but with a modern twist...and normally a lot ruder and riskier too. Why not go along and yell some ideas at these guys and see if they can spin some comedy gold for you?

Shoe Cake Comedy Club is at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Saturday 19th June www.shoecakecomedy.co.uk

MUSIC

KOMPARRISON/LIZZIE ESAU @ INDEPENDENT

Words: Michael O’Neill

Over the last few years, Independent in Sunderland have become an utter force to be reckoned with when it comes to hosting some of the region’s most undeniably visceral up and coming talent (don’t let this overshadow their greatest achievement: the infamous Blue Pint), and it’s a refreshing sight to see them getting back to business with this line-up, which acts as a strong reminder of all the absolute brilliance we’ve missed out on whilst gigs were but a fever dream (on that note: the shows are seated and socially distanced to ensure everything remains COVID-secure!)

Leading the bill on Friday 18th June is the eclectic quintet Komparrison, who’ve fast built a solid reputation off the back of their taboo-exploring pop-inflected bangers, which have previously seen them play sell-out shows, headline the first MUNRO festival and inject a much-needed dose of poptimism to the scene. January’s release Dancing With Demons made it clear that they know how to craft a hell of a hook, and they’re an utter force to be reckoned with – you heard it here first.

Neo-soul singer-songwriter Lizzie Esau supports, bringing with her gloriously vivid self-produced widescreen pop which traverses piano ballads, spoken word, indie pop and R&B without ever veering into pastiche, with her recent release Haven’t You Heard being a strong testament to her singular talent and absolute mastery of songcraft.

Komparrison and Lizzie Esau play Independent, Sunderland on Friday 18th June www.facebook.com/komparrison www.facebook.com/lizzieesau.music

Lizzie Esau by Victoria Wai

MUSIC

PRESS ON VINYL LAUNCHES ON TEESSIDE

Words: Claire Dupree

It’s not often we bring you stories about new factories opening in the region, but we elected to make an exception with this one… Press On Vinyl is a brand new vinyl pressing plant based in Middlesbrough, and is the only state of the art, purpose-built production facility north of Luton.

This is excellent news for the region’s musicians and labels, as lengthy waiting times for vinyl manufacturing has led to independent musicians and smaller labels waiting several months for releases they’ve had in the pipeline since lockdown began; with big labels taking up time and resources, Press On Vinyl have laid out their plans to only work with smaller grassroots artists and labels, in order to help level the playing field. Proudly boasting of environmentally efficient pressing machinery, a careful eye for detail and a dedicated and highly skilled workforce, the folks behind Press On Vinyl are passionate about the visual beauty and importance of vinyl production.

At the heart of all this is a team of ardent music lovers with deep roots in the regional music scene, who promise to dedicate as much care and attention to every release, whether it’s for 100 or 10,000 records.

www.pressonvinyl.com

Seventh Wave by Neil Bousfield

ART & LIT

NEW LIGHT PRIZE EXHIBITION @ BISCUIT FACTORY

Words: Beverley Knight

The New Light Prize Exhibition shines on artists with a connection to the North in the contemporary art world, including local beacons such as Narbi Price, Gavin Watson, Paul Morgan, Maria Laffey, Imogen Perkin, Chris Polunin and Cat Moore.

Hosted at the Biscuit Factory in Shieldfield, and taking place from Friday 4th June-Sunday 29th August, the gallery will continue in their mission to champion emerging and established creators through awards. Biscuit Factory’s general manager Rachel Brown comments: “New Light has been dedicated over the past 10 years to raising the profile of Northern artists, and the Prize Exhibition is an integral platform to the promotion of our region in the art world. We naturally share that goal and are very much looking forward to welcoming these artists to the gallery for such an important group exhibition.”

New Light development director, Rebekah Tadd says of the display: “We’re delighted to bring the New Light Prize Exhibition to The Biscuit Factory this Summer. Such an exceptional exhibition of inspiring, contemporary work deserves to be showcased across the region it celebrates, and we’re thrilled to be able to finally bring the show to the North East for visitors to enjoy.”

Five prize winners join over 100 other achievers in the UK, and over 125 works, where viewers gain the chance to vote for the Visitors Choice award. Further recognition of the Ouseburn and Newcastle’s bustling scene, this year’s show is New Light’s most generous yet, offering worthy insight into Northern art and other creations from around the country.

New Light Prize Exhibition is on display at Biscuit Factory, Newcastle from Friday 4th June-Sunday 29th August www.thebiscuitfactory.com

ART & LIT

TOWN HALL MEETING OF THE AIR @ BALTIC 39

Words: Nicola Owen

Opening this month at BALTIC39 in Newcastle is Town Hall Meeting Of The Air, an exhibition and broadcast programme conceived by Tess Denman-Cleaver and Kate Liston.

Collaboratively developed since 2018 and throughout current social restrictions, Town Hall Meeting Of The Air looks at how architecture shapes public gathering and language. Liston and Denman-Cleaver’s text and installation draw from research into ancient assembly sites, abandoned parliaments, radio broadcast history and the experimental and politicised writings of Gertrude Stein. Town Hall Meeting Of The Air uses these starting points, in the context of a global pandemic, to hope for alternative forms of collectivity.

The exhibition also hosts work by Anna Barham and collaborators Rosie Morris and Taryn Edmonds as well as James Newrick. Alongside the exhibition, a temporary internet radio station will broadcast a series of live events and archive content including performances of Liston and Denman-Cleaver’s text The Hundreds, a 52-hour marathon broadcast of Anna Barham and Irene Revell’s project entitled ‘They are all of them themselves and they repeat it and I hear it: A yearlong reading of Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans’, and recordings of the original America’s Town Hall Meeting Of The Air radio show (1935-1956).

www.baltic.art/baltic-39

MUSIC

PENSACOLA MIST @ THE GLOBE, NEWCASTLE

Words: Ben Lowes-Smith

Alt. pop synth outfit Pensacola Mist are playing a socially distanced show at The Globe in Newcastle on Saturday 19th June. The group masterfully combine 80s nostalgia and modern dark pop with a larger than life, fully customised light show to create an intoxicating live experience. The duo have plaudits to boast about, having received national radio play on BBC 6Music and were the featured live act on BBC Introducing in the North East in early 2021. They’ve so far amassed 45,000+ streams from over 90 countries.

Recalling the likes of Suicide, The Cure and the sugary melodicism of the Jesus and Mary Chain, Oliver Payn and Daniel Lee Cox create a technicolour sonic palette using fairly rudimentary means (framed by Oliver’s versatile voice) in a way that makes them one of the region’s must-see bands. Their upbeat pop with a synthwave edge creates a truly unique show, blending pre-recorded samples and live instrumentation to create an experience like no other band on the circuit.

Pensacola Mist play The Globe, Newcastle on Saturday 19th June www.pensacolamist.com

Pensacola Mist

MUSIC

KATHRYN WILLIAMS @ THE CLUNY 2

Words: Michael O’Neill

One of the strongest signs that the long-awaited return of gigs is in full flow is the return of Jumpin’ Hot Club, who are getting straight back to business with a socially-distanced evening with the acclaimed and prolific locally-based singer-songwriter and author Kathryn Williams, at The Cluny 2 on Friday 11th June.

Having received regular acclaim throughout her career (including a Mercury Prize nomination for 2000’s Little Black Numbers) Williams’ music has echoes of the rich songwriting and fierce individuality of the likes of Nick Drake, John Martyn and Joni Mitchell. Considering the fact that she has released a vast array of works in the time since 1999’s debut album Dog Leap Stairs, including a staggering fourteen solo LPs (not counting side projects and collaborations with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Carol Ann Duffy, Ed Harcourt and Laura Barnett) and last year’s acclaimed debut novel The Ormering Tide, there is no doubt that the evening will be a strong testament to Williams’ extensive body of work, and a rare opportunity to the see the artist in such an intimate venue.

Having hosted more than 2,000 gigs over the last 36 years, it’s fantastic to see Jumpin’ Hot Club return, and this evening will undoubtedly be a bright light on the horizon as we return to normality.

Kathryn Williams plays The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Friday 11th June www.kathrynwilliams.co.uk

Kathryn Williams by Fiona Pattison

MUSIC

TRUNKY JUNO, MOON WAX & SHAKK @ KU BAR

Words: Ben Lowes-Smith

Of the smatterings of socially distanced gigs popping up over June, notably Stockton’s KU Bar is hosting a delicious smorgasbord of local talent on Friday 11th June which is well worth your attention.

Trunky Juno has been making waves with his sun-bleached brand of bedroom pop. His 90s indebted slacker pop recalls Mac Demarco and The Flaming Lips, and he’s been hotly tipped in all the right places. With the pandemic putting paid to his momentum, we’re confident 2021 will be the year his talent really gets to shine.

Excellently selected support comes from Moon Wax, who tastefully incorporate elements of house, soul and pop to produce impeccably crafted, danceable bangers. Their new single Blind To Love, featuring Elizabeth Liddle is a Jamiroquai indebted, blue-eyed soul banger. Completing the bill is Middlesbrough rapper Shakk, a prolific talent with a tremendous flow and ear for a beat as showcased best on his recent single Loose Ends. Tickets are available for between tables of one and six people, at a snip of around £7.50 per head.

Trunky Juno, Moon Wax and Shakk play KU Bar, Stockton on Friday 11th June www.kustockton.co.uk

MUSIC

MARTHA HILL RELEASES NEW EP, DOG HEARTED MAN

Words: Michael O’Neill

A year on from the release of the marvellous Summer Up North EP, Newcastle-based artist Martha Hill returns with a new collection of eclectic delight, Dog Hearted Man. Set for release on 25th June, Hill’s third EP finds the fast-rising musician expanding on her diverse sound to explore ‘dafter’ territories, with her phenomenal command of songcraft still being front-and-centre.

The EP marks a watershed moment in Hill’s ascent as an artist, with the delightful lead single Change receiving its first play by Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1, and further support from the likes of 6Music (who previously sent two of her singles straight to their A-List), Spotify and The Independent. One listen to the track alone confirms why she’s commanding this kind of acclaim; it’s a gloriously confident slice of effortless melodic grandeur that commands endless listens, tackling the mundanity of everyday life in a fresh and enthralling manner.

The rest of the EP features the likes of sultry yet tongue-in-cheek Boom, the chilled out splendour of Drive Me Away, guaranteed future banger 151, the soft comforts of 25 and grooving Alter Ego.

In support of the release, Hill is embarking on a 10-date tour in October, which takes in Newcastle’s Cluny on Sunday 17th and Middlesborough’s Westgarth Social Club on Friday 22nd. If you have half a gnat of sense I’d consider attending, because if the promise that emanates through every beat of Dog Hearted Man is anything to go by, she’ll soon be commanding far larger venues.

Martha Hill releases Dog Hearted Man on 25th June www.marthahillmusic.com

Martha Hill

ART & LIT

SONIA BOYCE: IN THE CASTLE OF MY SKIN @ MIMA

Words: Tracy Hyman

MIMA flings its doors open on Friday 11th June with a dazzling exhibition by one of Britain’s foremost artists, Sonia Boyce. As we re-emerge from the national lockdown, In The Castle Of My Skin offers sensory experiences of visual art, sound and architecture.

Visitors are welcomed to an arena of improvisation and play through a multi-faceted, angular structure based on the shape of pyrite, a shimmering mineral commonly known as Fool’s Gold. Clad in wallpapers made by Boyce since the early 1990s, In The Castle Of My Skin uses the metaphor of skin as a covering, displaying artworks by 12 local and national contemporary artists, including selected pieces from the Middlesbrough Collection. They spill from Boyce’s extraordinary structure, encouraging connections across artworks from different eras. A dynamic five-metre wall painting by Emma Bennett responding to local modernist architecture is paired with prints by world famous Op Art artist Bridget Riley; photographs by Kev Howard show the intricate designs of prosthetic limbs, while Harold Offeh’s Selfie Choreography video invites visitors to explore the exhibition using selfie sticks and cameras. A newly commissioned video by Boyce features skateboarders from Tees Valley-based collective Girls Skate North East (GSNE) and ukulele playing skateboarders in Birmingham.

Sonia Boyce: In The Castle Of My Skin is at MIMA, Middlesbrough from Friday 11th June www.mima.art

Image by Stuart Whipps, courtesy of Eastside Projects

ART & LIT

CROSSING THE TEES

Words: Aja Dodd

Teesside’s biggest book festival returns between Wednesday 9th-Saturday 19th June, with a bit of a twist on the usual proceedings. The festival includes workshops and discussions on fiction, poetry, crime-writing, sci-fi and more, with all events hosted online.

Highlights will include a contemporary poetry workshop led by Linda France, followed by readings from Manchester-based poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir (Thursday 10th); best-selling crime fiction author Vaseem Khan gives what’s sure to be an illuminating discussion about his work, which encompasses India’s history from the days of the Raj to modern life, while asking ‘how do you fit an elephant into a crime story?’ (Friday 11th); join founder of Writer’s Block North East, Laura Degnan, in a round-table discussion with three eminent writers Linda Green (The Last Thing She Told You), CJ Cooke (The Blame Game) and Carla Barley (The Moss House) (Tuesday 15th); sci-fi writer Gillie Hatton discusses all things fantasy fiction and sci-fi with GX Todd and Claire North (Thursday 17th); and there’s a chance to find out how to commit the perfect crime (or at least write about it) with a panel event from Dr Noir (aka Dr Jacky Collins), William Shaw, Trevor Wood and Neil Pattison (Friday 18th); there’s discussions from award-winning environment journalist Tim Smedley (Wednesday 9th); an online murder-mystery night with Tall Tales Mystery (Monday 14th); and you can join in with tea and chat from Nancy Revell who talks about her Shipyard Girls series (Wednesday 17th); plus budding authors are invited to share their stories in the Crossing the Tees short story competition.

Crossing The Tees takes place online from Wednesday 9th-Saturday 19th June www.crossingthetees.org

MUSIC

GIGS @ THE PEACOCK

Words: Dawn Storey

It was November 2019 when Barry Hyde (The Futureheads) and Dan Donnelly (Celtic Social Club) took over the reins at The Peacock pub in Sunderland and began to give it a revamp. Now, 18 months on and with the easing of lockdown restrictions, their social media posts are testament to how excited they are to finally be able to welcome people back inside the pub – and for the first time ever during Monday to Friday daytimes. They promise real ales, live music and freshly made food at their Grade II listed building in Sunderland’s Cultural Quarter, and their calendar is already heaving with gigs.

In June there’ll be surf rock from the Milk Lizards (Saturday 12th) and blues and Americana from the Oil City Shakers (Saturday 19th), while July sees a rare North East gig from Somerset singer-songwriter Nick Parker (Sunday 4th), a very special 30th anniversary show from Martin Stephenson and the Daintees performing Salutation Road in its entirety (Saturday 17th) and folk punk from Ken and Dan of Ferocious Dog (Saturday 31st). The venue will also host DJ sets including a monthly residency from Loud Not Loud Music Club and a weekly pub quiz. Tables can be booked for food and tickets for live music are available from dice.fm.

www.thepeacock.pub

MUSIC

RAZMATAZ LORRY EXCITEMENT RELEASES NEW EP, GET BACK TO IT

Words: Laura Doyle

Many of us have experienced burnout in some capacity. You know that feeling where activities that would usually engross you for hours suddenly seem like a chore? That. Sometimes the only way to get out of that funk is to take a step back from it all and wait for the inspiration to return.

That’s why we haven’t seen much of electro dance one-man band Razmataz Lorry Excitement for the past five years. Kev Dosdale has been a bit too preoccupied with real life stuff to focus on music-making, instead making waves in collaboration with Field Music as their guitar and synth player. But now, with his feet back on the ground and plenty of time at his disposal, he’s got the energy to put his heart back into his solo project.

New EP Get Back To It is appropriately titled: it’s a reintroduction to new dance music for those of us who have been out of the scene for the past year. Lead single To The Beat is the epitome of dance music – there’s nowt else to do to this choppy, multi-dimensional dance track than, well, dance, while I Can’t Tell You is a sedately propulsive banger featuring Cornshed Sisters’ Liz Corney. When we’re out of these woods, these tracks will surely prove to be infectious on dance floors across the North East.

Razmataz Lorry Excitement releases Get Back To It EP on 11th June www.razmatazlorryexcitement.co.uk

Razmataz Lorry Excitement by Andy Martin

MUSIC

GAST: THE COMEBACK @ BASE CAMP

Words: Maria Winter

Teesside hip-hop promoters GAST present their first show of the year at Base Camp in Middlesbrough on Saturday 26th June, featuring hotly tipped rappers Eyeconic, Pure Filth, Jack Craggs, Abi Nyxx and many more.

Kicking off with an open mic, 14 different musicians covering a wide range of genres will grace the stage, displaying both a diverse and eclectic range of music suitable for all tastes. To make the night more exciting, We Do Tombolas will make an appearance, giving the audience a chance to win some eccentric things they didn’t realise they needed.

Music isn’t the only thing at the heart of GAST’s vision; organiser Adam Sullivan prides himself on creating a safe environment for people to party in – particularly for women. This is an important aspect of any live music event, and Adam notes: “I’ve spoken to venues to see if they can hire women door staff because sometimes women don’t feel comfortable speaking to male door staff about their problems. I’m also offering to pay for transport home for girls who are left stranded to make sure they get home safe.”

GAST present Pure Filth, Chemistry, Sullivan, Chad, Eyeconic, Deekz, Abi Nyxx, Jack Craggs and more at Base Camp, Middlesbrough on Saturday 26th June www.facebook.com/gast.teesside

MUSIC

TUSK TV JUNE EDITION

Words: Claire Dupree

Experimental sounds and sonic adventures continue apace at TUSK HQ, where the North East’s premier proponents of underground culture offer yet more audio and visual delights in the form of their TUSK TV and TUSK Editions programming.

Their third instalment lands on Friday 4th June, and will once again feature four hours of free music, interviews and more, featuring performances from multi-instrumentalist and composer Ashley Paul; the raw electronics of Sourdure; prolific artist and MC Ibaaku; Houssam Gania, the celebrated figure of Gnaoua music, which combines ritual poetry with traditional music and originates from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa and Chinese audio visual artist Gogoj, aka Sheng Jie. A particular highlight will be a series of responses to a recording from popular Yorkshire poet Ian McMillan by Posset, Claire Rousay, Charmaine Lee, Luke Poot, Yol and more and there’s also an interview with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Matt Sweeney conducted by local folk hero Cath Tyler. It’ll all be presided over by creative improviser, composer and broadcaster Corey Mwamba.

In addition, digital publication/members club TUSK Editions will see a special mix from musical explorer and DJ Christina Hazboun alongside exclusive new music from power trio The Rolling Calf and much more.

TUSK TV is freely available via their website from Friday 4th June. Access TUSK Editions or join the members scheme from £7 www.tuskfestival.com

Ashley Paul